Grants for Gambling Research Program – Round 8

The following projects investigate the social context of low and moderate risk gambling or strategies to prevent harm among young people aged 12-17 and 18-24. These projects aim is to help us understand the role of normalisation, the influence of peer behaviour and socio-demographic factors that are associated with low and moderate risk gambling, or gambling among young people aged 12-17 and 18-24.

The shaping of young women’s gambling risk behaviours: A sociocultural investigation of gambling attitudes, beliefs, and consumption intentions.

Deakin University

A/Prof Samantha Thomas

$119,619

National and international evidence shows that the prevalence of risky gambling in women is increasing, and that women are increasingly attracted to skill based forms of gambling such as betting. However, the evidence base about socio-cultural, environmental and industry drivers of women’s gambling behaviour remains extremely limited. This research aims to investigate the socio-cultural, environmental and industry factors that may contribute to shaping the gambling beliefs and consumption intentions/behaviours of adolescent girls (16-17) and young women (18-24).

Extent of and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising and sponsorship messages in sport and non-sport TV

Monash University

A/Prof Kerry O’Brien

$161,590

There is no research in Victoria, Australia, or internationally examining the extent/volume of gambling advertising and sponsorship in sport vs. non-sport TV, or children and young people’s exposure to such advertising when watching TV during the day or night time.

This project aims to examine this by exploring the density of gambling advertising in free-to air sport and non-sport TV, subsequently establishing the effectiveness of current advertising regulations.

The research will also identify which televised sports are associated with a greater gambling advertising exposure for children and young people, and the viewing times when this is most likely to occur.

The project will obtain and analyse all commercial gambling advertising and sponsorship data for free-to-air TV, and children and young people’s audience viewing data across two years, including December 2014 - November 2015 and December 2015 - November 2016. The Commercial Television Code of Practice was weakened on 1 December 2015, potentially facilitating a greater exposure to gambling advertising among children and young people.

The susceptibility, prevalence, type and burden of adolescent gambling: an opportunity for an ongoing monitoring tool

University of Newcastle

L/Prof Rob Sanson-Fisher

$174,967

This project collects data on gambling behaviour among young people aged 12-18 from Victoria and Western Australia via the Australian Secondary School Alcohol and Drug Survey (ASSAD), the most comprehensive survey examining alcohol and drug use among school aged young people in Australia. By including a West Australian sample, the researchers will be able to assess whether the different gambling environments in each state are associated with particular gambling attitudes and behaviours among those aged 12-18.

Developing effective strategies for low and moderate risk gamblers: using action and coping planning for success

Turning Point

Dr Simone Rodda

$91,740

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a set of low risk gambling strategies that can be applied in a gambling venue. This study will recruit 160 gamblers from Victorian gambling venues, and will investigate the effectiveness of a brief 10-minute intervention administered to gamblers prior to entering a gambling venue. Participants will be randomised to a pre-gambling brief intervention (i.e., assistance with planning for barriers to sticking to limits) (n=80) or an assessment only condition (n=80). At the post session, all participants will complete a checklist of strategies used as well as an evaluation of effectiveness of the strategies in limiting time or money gambling. Additional interviews on action and coping planning with 80 participants will determine how strategies are effectively implemented (n=80). All participants will then be followed up at six weeks to determine the longer-term impact of provision of the brief intervention.

Social network analysis of low and moderate risk gamblers (ECR)

Central Queensland University

Dr Alex Russell

$49,976.27

This project uses a sample of 800 survey respondents to explore the social contexts in which gambling occurs, with a focus on low and moderate risk gambling. Respondents will provide information about the most influential people in their lives, their gambling behaviour and how they are connected to each other. This data will be used to map the social networks around these respondents, providing a representation of the social context of their gambling that can be statistically analysed. The social networks of different types of people, including low and moderate risk gamblers will be compared.

Transitioning into and out of low or moderate risk gambling: Socio-demographic, gambling-related harm motivation and change profiles (ECR)

Deakin University

Stephanie Merkouris

$49,920.76

Recent research has shown that low and moderate risk gamblers account for the majority of the total burden of gambling-related harm in Victoria. Given this, a consideration of the factors associated with the development of, or improvement from, low or moderate risk gambling is required. Such information is essential to the development of prevention initiatives and for the reduction of gambling-related harm. The proposed project aims to:

evaluate effective strategies used to change gambling behaviour by examining the differences in sociodemographic, gambling-related harms and change profiles of gamblers who transition into and out of low or moderate risk gambling;

examine baseline predictors of transitions into and out of low or moderate risk gambling; and

explore the subjective experience of low and moderate risk gamblers, considering how they feel about their current gambling; the impact gambling has had on their lives; and patterns of gambling over time, and where applicable, the strategies used to change their gambling behaviours.

The proposed research will consist of two projects: A secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected from the Tasmanian Longitudinal Gambling Study and a longitudinal 12-month follow-up of participants in GAMBLINGLESS (an online self-help CBT program).